Italian carpaccio gave me the inspiration for this melt in the mouth recipe. I wanted to develop a South African version of the Italian classic, using traditional biltong ingredients.

It takes over a day to complete the process, so remember to plan your time adequately. I lightly sear the fillet, as this kills off harmful bacteria on the outside, and adds a pleasantly textured crust. Popping the meat in the freezer for a few hours after curing makes it much easier to slice thinly.

This feels like a very decadent starter, as it’s made using a very expensive cut of beef, the chateaubriand. The good news is that, thanks to thin slicing, a little goes a long way.

Lightly sear the beef fillet in a large frying pan over medium heat. Leave to cool.

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade.

Add the fillet and massage the marinade into the meat.

Wrap the fillet tightly in cling film, so that it resembles a log.

Refrigerate for 24 – 36 hours

Freeze for a few hours, then slice as thinly as possible. Ideally this should be no more than 3 mm thick. The meat can be stored in the fridge, between layers of cling film, for a couple of hours before slicing. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before serving.

For the salad dressing, mix together the extra virgin olive oil with a squeeze of lemon juice, and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Toss through the salad leaves.

Serve the salad on top of the biltong, and finish with a sprinkling of parmesan.